The Miami Marlins continue to find it difficult to relocate the magic of that 2023 campaign, perhaps because the architect of that underdog roster is no longer in the building. Miami is 11 games below .500 and 13 games behind first-place New York in the division. With no path to contention and an omnipresent mandate to pinch pennies, it feels like Miami will once again put up a 'For Sale' sign at the trade deadline.
This is practically an annual tradition in South Beach at this point. The Marlins have a decent pipeline of young talent in the organization, but almost anyone of value gets shipped out when the moment feels opportune. This is a team stuck in purgatory, forever kicking the can down the road.
That said, team president Peter Bendix won't completely empty the cupboard. Miami is expected to cling tightly to a couple rising stars, per FanSided's Robert Murray, with 22-year-old Eury Pérez and 23-year-old Agustín Ramírez both off the trade block — for now.
"But one prominent rival executive believes “(the Marlins will) try to get value for anyone” – perhaps with the exception of Agustin Ramirez and Eury Perez," he writes.
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Marlins expected to put everyone on the trade market — except Eury Pérez and Augustín Ramírez
This checks out. Agustín Ramírez has been a revelation amid a mostly depressing season in Miami. He's a strong candidate for Rookie of the Year and arguably the most potent bat in a low-scoring Marlins lineup. He's batting .254 with an .808 OPS and seven home runs as Miami's No. 4 prospect. He is splitting time between catch and DH.
Is he a perfect player? Of course not. Ramírez's defensive metrics are quite poor, and it's never ideal when a 23-year-old spends the majority of his time in the DH slot. Limited positional flexibility could diminish his value down the line.
That said, this Marlins lineup desperately needs more slug, which Ramírez provides in ample amounts. He has thrived in the cleanup spot and he's one of the few players keeping Miami remotely competitive offensively, so their desire to keep him around is understandable. There is still plenty of time for him to improve, not only as a featured bat in the heart of the lineup, but as a backstop behind home plate. Perhaps Miami can even consider a position change (first base?) down the line. There is time to figure it out.
Pérez is still Miami's best asset by a comfortable margin. He was an immediate star as a 20-year-old rookie, racking up 19 starts with a 3.15 ERA and 108 strikeouts in 91.1 innings. Unfortunately, that was 2023, and we still haven't seen Pérez is a big-league game since then. He's on the injured list rehabbing from Tommy John surgery, with an expected return in the next month.
The Marlins ought not to rush things with Pérez given the state of their roster and the standings, but it will be a nice balm for an unhappy fanbase. He's still under team control for several years to come, so Miami is understandably reluctant to part ways. There's a world in which Pérez becomes the foundation of their next competitive team.
As for everyone else on the roster? Well... don't put those suitcases in the attic, just in case.